TOURISM AND RECOMMENDATIONS

• Arrival: the park is located between the cities of Quito, in the north, and Latacunga, in the south. They are joined by the Pan American Highway and many buses regularly travel from one city to another. The first entrance to the park is located 39 miles from Quito, an hour and a half of travel, and is marked by signs with the names "El Boliche" and "CLIRSEN", a former NASA minitrak station. The second entrance is 4 miles further south and is marked "Parque Nacional Cotopaxi". Both roads eventually join and after 6 miles arrive to an entrance gate where a fee is charged. A few more miles of road lead to the feet of the volcano Cotopaxi. Another way to arrive to the park is taking the train from Chimbacalle station in southern Quito, which takes one directly into Recreation Area El Boliche.
• Hiking to Cotopaxi’s peak: the best time of the year to climb the Cotopaxi is December and January, because there are less wind and clouds. A 4WD car is necessary to drive up the volcano's slopes, but this is only possible up to the beginning of the snow. From the parking lot located there, it takes half an hour to hike up to José Ribas Refuge. This refuge has 35 bunkbeds, basic food and water supplies, and facilities for cooking and locking up your gear in a safe place. It is wise to spend the night there and start the climb between midnight and 3 am, because the snow becomes soft and wet in the afternoon. It takes 5 to 9 hours for the ascent. There are some crevasses but easy to avoid. The last hour is the steepest, and where ropes, ice axes and snow stakes are recommended. From the summit it is possible to hike into the crater, although some dangerous accidents have occurred to hikers that attempt to do this. Another problem to be careful about is altitude sickness. One should remember to take enough food and warm sleeping bags.
• Latacunga: only 22 miles from Cotopaxi, Latacunga is the nearest city to the volcano. It has plenty of hotels and restaurants, of varying prices and quality, in contrast to the lack of sleeping space and food inside the park. From the 20 to the 26 of September, one can enjoy the processions for the Mercedes . In November there is a bigger festivity called La Mama Negra (The Black Mother), in which the city is filled with indigenous dances, songs and costumes.